Mary Lyon Centre

What Mary Lyon Centre does

The Mary Lyon Centre (MLC) is the UK's national facility for mouse genetics and mouse models for the study of human disease, located on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire and operating as part of MRC Harwell under the Medical Research Council (MRC) within UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Established in 2004 and named in recognition of Dr Mary Lyon's 1961 discovery of X chromosome inactivation, the centre provides an end-to-end preclinical disease modelling platform covering mouse model generation (using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing licensed from Caribou Biosciences and the Broad Institute), comprehensive phenotyping services (embryo, in vivo, pathology, clinical pathology, and disease-area-specific phenotyping), breeding and colony management, cryopreservation, and the National Mouse Archive for distribution via the European Mouse Mutant Archive (EMMA) network.

The centre serves three primary customer segments: academic researchers requiring genetically altered mouse models for disease studies, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies needing validated models and regulatory-compliant phenotyping for drug development, and technical staff/PhD students requiring training in laboratory animal science. Revenue is generated through fee-for-service mouse model generation, phenotyping services, training courses (ranging from £250 to £2,120 per course via the ADVANCE Training Centre), and facility hire (£110-£360 per day). Core funding flows from the MRC/UKRI, supplemented by competitive grants including a £3.4 million Prosperity Partnership awarded in December 2025 with AstraZeneca, University of Cambridge, and Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute. The GEMM programme provides free mouse model generation funded by MRC, and the centre operates as the central hub of the MRC National Mouse Genetics Network coordinating disease-focused research clusters across the UK. International reach is maintained through memberships in IMPC, INFRAFRONTIER, and COST Action TEATIME (23 countries).

Name

Mary Lyon Centre

Legal name

Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell

Website

https://har.mrc.ac.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Mary Lyon Centre is the UK's national facility for mouse genetics, generating and phenotyping genetically altered mouse models for academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies. It operates the National Mouse Archive, the ADVANCE Training Centre, and the GEMM programme under MRC/UKRI public funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Preclinical Mouse Genetics Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Molecular & Genetic Testing (Breed, Hereditary Disease, Oncology) (HLAMADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Molecular & Genetic Testing (PCR/NGS/qPCR) (HLAGADAF)

Keywords

• Mouse model generation
• Preclinical phenotyping services
• Mouse genetics research
• Genome editing services
• Animal research facility

Headquarters

HQ city

Harwell

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Mouse Model Generation Services: Fee-for-service generation of genetically altered mouse models for academic and industry researchers, including genome editing, breeding, and maintenance services.
2. Phenotyping Services: Comprehensive phenotyping services for characterising mouse models of human disease, including in vivo phenotyping, pathology, and clinical pathology.
3. Training Courses: Practical and theoretical training courses in genetics, pathology, transgenics, and laboratory animal science offered through the ADVANCE Training Centre, ranging from £250 to £2,120 per course.
4. Facility Hire: Rental of purpose-built laboratories, conference rooms, meeting rooms, and breakout spaces at the ADVANCE Training Centre to external training providers and organisations.
5. MRC Prosperity Partnership: Funded research collaboration with MRC, University of Cambridge, AstraZeneca, and Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute to study nucleic-acid based therapeutics safety.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Mary Lyon Centre is the UK's national facility for mouse genetics and the study of human disease using mouse models. It provides end-to-end preclinical disease modelling services including the generation of genetically altered mice via CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing (simple deletions, point mutations, complex alleles, custom allele conversion), comprehensive phenotyping (in vivo, embryo, pathology, clinical pathology), breeding and colony management, cryopreservation, and distribution of mouse lines through the National Mouse Archive (EMMA network).

Product overview

The Mary Lyon Centre is the UK's national facility for mouse genetics and the use of mouse models for the study of human disease. It operates as an integrated service platform offering comprehensive mouse genetics capabilities including model generation (via CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing for complex alleles and simple mutations), extensive phenotyping services (embryo phenotyping, in vivo phenotyping, clinical pathology, and pathology), breeding and colony management, and archiving/distribution through the National Mouse Archive (part of EMMA/INFRAFRONTIER). The centre also provides specialised services including germ-free mice, cryopreservation, custom allele conversion, and strain rederivation. The ADVANCE Training Centre, a separate division, offers specialist courses in genetics, pathology, transgenics, and laboratory animal science. The MRC National Mouse Genetics Network coordinates disease-focused research clusters across the UK. The GEMM programme provides free mouse model generation for researchers. Together, these services enable the entire preclinical disease modelling pipeline from model design and production through to data generation and archiving.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mouse Model Generation Generation of genetically altered mouse models including simple deletions, point mutations, complex alleles, and custom allele conversion using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing for academic and industry researchers.
• In Vivo Phenotyping Comprehensive phenotyping services to characterise mouse models of human disease using a wide array of in vivo tests covering various biological systems and disease areas.
• Clinical Pathology Clinical chemistry and pathology services for analysing mouse models including blood chemistry, haematology, and histopathology assessments.
• Embryo Phenotyping Phenotyping services for mouse embryos to characterise developmental phenotypes and genetic variations in early-stage mouse models.
• Pathology Services Comprehensive histopathology and tissue analysis services for characterising disease phenotypes in mouse models.
• Phenotyping by Disease Specialised phenotyping services organised by disease area including developmental diseases, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, sensory diseases, and skeletal/muscular diseases.
• Expression and Cre Activity Studies Services for analysing gene expression patterns and Cre recombinase activity in genetically modified mouse models.
• Breeding and Maintenance Comprehensive breeding and colony management services to maintain genetically altered mouse lines with optimal genetic integrity.
• National Mouse Archive National repository for cryopreservation, archiving, and global distribution of mouse lines through the European Mouse Mutant Archive (EMMA) repository network, making scientifically relevant mouse strains available to the international research community.
• Embryo and Sperm Cryopreservation Cryopreservation services for long-term storage of mouse embryos and sperm, enabling preservation, protection, and transport of valuable mouse strains.
• Germ-Free Mice Specialised services for maintaining and producing germ-free (axenic) mouse colonies for research requiring defined microbiota conditions.
• Custom Allele Conversion Services for converting existing mouse alleles to different types using Cre/Flp recombinase methods, reducing the need to maintain deleter mice.
• Mouse Strain Rederivation and Repatriation Services for rederiving pathogen-free mice from existing strains and repatriating mouse strains to their country of origin.
• GEMM (Genome Editing Mice for Medicine) Free generation of novel genetically altered mouse models through the MRC-funded Genome Editing Mice for Medicine (GEMM) programme, providing comprehensive genome engineering capabilities to qualifying researchers.
• Welfare Services Animal welfare and 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) focused services ensuring high standards of mouse health and welfare while improving scientific data quality.
• ADVANCE Training Courses Comprehensive portfolio of practical and theoretical training courses in laboratory animal science, genetics, pathology, and transgenics offered through the ADVANCE Training Centre, with individual courses priced from £250 to £2,255.

Quantifiable outcome

• £3.4 million MRC Prosperity Partnership grant awarded for nucleic-acid therapeutics safety research
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MRC Toxicology UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025£3.4 million MRC Prosperity Partnership grant collaboration to study the safety profile of antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapeutics using human-relevant in vitro models. Partners include MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, AstraZeneca, Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, and Mary Lyon Centre.
• University of Cambridge - Department of BiochemistrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025Academic partner in the Prosperity Partnership providing expertise in RNA biology and fundamental research on ASO mechanisms.
• AstraZenecacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025Industry partner in the Prosperity Partnership providing pharmaceutical development expertise and contributing to research on ASO therapeutics safety.
• Cancer Research UK Scotland InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025Academic partner providing expertise in model development and translational research for the Prosperity Partnership on ASO therapeutics.
• MRC National Mouse Genetics NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of disease-focused research clusters across the UK with Mary Lyon Centre as the central hub providing mouse model generation and phenotyping capabilities.
• COST Action - TEATIMEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean collaboration of researchers developing 24/7 monitoring methods for animal behaviour using home-cage monitoring, addressing equipment diversity and analysis standardisation.
• INFRAFRONTIERcoreTechnology or IntegrationEuropean Research Infrastructure providing access to tools for generation, phenotyping, archiving and distribution of model mammalian genomes. Mary Lyon Centre is the UK node.
• European Mouse Mutant Archive (EMMA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEMMA repository network for archiving and distributing mouse mutant lines. Mary Lyon Centre distributes mouse resources through EMMA, making lines available to the international research community.
• International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational consortium generating and phenotyping knockout mice for gene function studies. Mary Lyon Centre is a member and generates IMPC mouse lines.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wellcome Sanger Institute: Major UK genomics research institute operating large-scale mouse and human genetic screens. Adjacent in genomics and functional genomics expertise and similarly UKRI-affiliated, though it does not focus on custom mouse model generation as a service.
• MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine: Sibling MRC research centre at the University of Edinburgh focused on stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Comparable as a UK government-funded MRC research establishment, though it operates in a different disease-model domain and lacks the dedicated mouse-genetics national-facility mandate.

Emerging players

• Cyagen Biosciences: China-based provider of custom mouse and rat model generation services using CRISPR/Cas9 and other genome-editing technologies. Comparable in custom model generation, with growing international presence and focus on academic and biotech customers.

Direct peers

• Charles River Laboratories: Global CRO providing preclinical research models and services including genetically engineered mouse models, phenotyping, and breeding services. Directly comparable in core mouse-model and phenotyping offerings, though it operates as a much larger, publicly traded commercial entity versus the Mary Lyon Centre's public-sector model.
• GenOway: French-based biotechnology company specialising in the design and generation of custom genetically modified mouse and rat models for academic and pharmaceutical research. Comparable in custom model generation using CRISPR and other genome-editing technologies.
• Taconic Biosciences: Leading commercial provider of genetically engineered mouse and rat models, including custom model generation, breeding, cryopreservation, and phenotyping services. Directly comparable service portfolio targeting both academic and pharmaceutical researchers.
• Inotiv: US-based preclinical research services company offering research models, discovery and safety assessment services, including genetically engineered mouse models. Comparable in providing integrated model generation and research services to pharma/biotech clients.
• The Jackson Laboratory: The world's leading independent mouse genetics research institute and provider of mouse models, headquartered in the US. Directly comparable mission of generating, phenotyping, archiving, and distributing genetically altered mice for human disease research, with similar national-research-institute positioning (US NCI-designated Cancer Center).

Regional players

• Shanghai Model Organisms Center: Chinese non-profit provider of mouse model generation, phenotyping, and related services. Comparable service portfolio focused on the domestic Chinese market and Asia-Pacific research community, serving as a regional analogue to the Mary Lyon Centre's UK national-facility role.

Others

• European Mouse Mutant Archive (EMMA): Pan-European repository network for archiving and distributing mouse mutant lines, of which the Mary Lyon Centre is itself a distribution node. Closely intertwined ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor; relevant for understanding the centre's role in the international mouse-genetics infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mrcharwell
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Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Mary Lyon Centre